Labor and....Delivery

Today was a big day!
We sent out our completed dossier!!!! Yeah! This means: it will be reviewed on Friday by AGCI and either will be approved or we may have minor corrections. Our case worker told us that about 95% of dossiers have minor changes. Please pray for the 5% that we pray we are! After we are approved, hopefully Friday, we are officially on the waiting list for the referral of our little guy! We are still being told that it could be 12-18 months before we receive our referral. But at least we will be waiting for him!!!!
I realized today that I was holding in all my emotions as we waited for our last pieces of paperwork. As I was driving to the post office {which is another crazy story I'll tell in a minute} I left Derek a message and totally started bawling my eyes out as I was talking. Where did that come from? This has been the most emotional experience I've ever been through. I am serious when I say "labor and delivery". I have birthed 2 children naturally, I mean naturally and I can say that "birthing" this child is and will be way worse. The emotions, paperwork, time and money that has been put into the process has blown me away! But, so far, I can say it has been worth it and we are so looking forward to the day that we will be united with our little guy!
Today, we received our home study in the mail and I quick took the pictures of all the paperwork and rushed to the car. I was watching Mia for my friend today and Layla, Mia and I just got home from the library and turned around and went straight to the postal store. Going Postal is the store that I have mailed all of our adoption packages from and to my surprise, I walked in and she said that they were unable to ship anything at the moment. She must have noticed the shocked looked on my face because she immediately began to explain. All the systems were down for USPS and they could not ship out until they "fixed" the system. What? NOOOOOOOOO! My hands must have been noticeably shaking because she said you look nervous and I said yes, I am, I'm holding my life in my hand right now. Of all the days that USPS was "down".. Can you believe it? I can't make this stuff up!!! As I left, I was holding back the tears and utter frustration of being so close but yet so far away. I was warning Satan that he could not have this one! God wins out every time! I chose to trust the Lord for the outcome of the day.
The lady at Going Postal sent me to the FedEx store in RM. Thankfully they were up and running and must have been amused by some of my requests. What? Haven't they seen a lady with a camera, two kids, a huge stack of "very important documents" and a shaking hand before??? All I asked is for one of the workers to take the picture of me handing the package to the other worker. What's the big deal? :)
They actually were very good sports about it and went along with all my crazy requests even if they were laughing. See the photos below.
At the end of the day, I'm sitting here replaying the rush of the day and I'm trusting God with the outcome. It feels like we took one more giant step closer to our son and brother.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33


This is the whole dossier ready to send out. A lot of sweat and tears.


Miss Layla Jane holding the weight of my world in her hands! All 2 pounds of it!



What a relief to have this part sent out. It's going to be good to be waiting. Wait. Did I just say that? It'll be good to be waiting? My dear friends, remind me that I said that in 6 months when I'm ready to go crazy from the wait.:)